WTO Rules Against ‘Dolphin-Safe’ Labels

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled against dolphin-safe labels for canned tuna following Mexico’s complaint that amended US labelling rules are discriminatory.

The ruling supports Mexico’s claims that labels are discriminatory because they exclude Mexican tuna from bearing dolphin-safe labels, unlike other countries’ tuna.

United States representatives said they ruled against the labels, stating that the amended tuna measure “brought it into conformity with the rulings and recommendations”. In addition, the United States argued that certain aspects of Mexico’s complaint were “outside the panel's terms of reference because they related to aspects of the measure that were unchanged from the original proceedings”. Click here to read more.